Quantum computers will be able to break important cryptographic primitives used in today’s digital communication. Therefore, there are ongoing activities aiming at the development, standardization, and application of post-quantum cryptography, i.e., cryptography that is able to defend against attacks by quantum computers.

Fraunhofer SIT investigates and implements post-quantum primitives targeting classical Internet applications, e.g., ecommerce and online banking in general and more specifically resource-restricted embedded hardware architectures used in, e.g., automotive systems and “Industry 4.0”. The goal of Fraunhofer SIT is to contribute to application oriented research and to support the transfer of academic research to industrial application.

Fraunhofer SIT evaluates risks and trust models of post-quantum primitives and supports corporations and organizations in

• the development of efficient post-quantum primitives,
• the secure implementation of efficient post-quantum primitives,
• the evaluation of application specific security parameters,
• the assessment of existing systems and solutions in regard to post-quantum security, and
• the development and realization of migration strategies.

An essential principle for keeping systems and applications permanently secure and up-to-date is crypto-agility. This means that wherever cryptography is used, it must be possible to replace or update cryptographic procedures quickly and easily. Crypto-agile systems are therefore systems that are adaptable at all times. More info on crypto-agility (in German)